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April 24, 2013

And it wasn't just that. I shut my iPhone off completely. Lest I be tempted to look.

I've been struggling with my schedule lately. I've been suffering from a major case of "FOMO," which is the "Fear of Missing Out" (known as "FOMA," or, "Fear of Missing Action," in some circles). I've been booking up weeknights like crazy and am rarely home before 10. I'm waking up later in the mornings and taking advantage of the flexibility my new job has schedule-wise (they don't need me right at nine, by 10 is fine), but I'm exhausted a lot. And it's more than just lack-of-sleep-tired. I'm worn OUT. I'm restless. I'm achy.

I was spending a rare night home on the couch, trying to make myself relax. I don't know if forcing myself to relax is a contradiction of terms, but there you have it. My mind was wandering and I was thinking about some stuff pertaining to Social Media Club when my mind wandered right to our February panel in which someone suggested taking a night off from social media. And I suddenly wondered if I could do it.

Impulsively, I closed my laptop and shut off my iPhone. I turned on "The Voice" and sat back to try and enjoy a peaceful hour with nothing but the bromance between Adam Levine and Blake Shelton to amuse me.

Seriously, they're adorable and hilarious. Plus, Shakira and Usher are WAY better than Cee Lo and Christina.

But anyway....

It was incredibly hard for the first half hour. I'd hear something on TV and want to look it up or I'd have a thought and battle an impulse to flip my phone on to record it in Evernote. I considered that I could open my laptop just to play some Solitaire while I watched TV (I do that a lot). But I wanted to prove to myself I could do it.

80 minutes later I was calm. I wasn't 100% zen but damned if I wasn't in a more peaceful spot than I was the hour before. It sounds exaggerated, I know, but at some point I realized I wasn't imagining my inbox filling up and my twitter feed pinging. I wasn't looking forward to logging back on as much as I was dreading it, knowing what a necessity it is.

Take an hour a couple nights a week, people. Take more. I predict a social media free EVENING in my future. Maybe a day? One small step for man....

March 21, 2013

As a publicist, it never ceases to amaze me that even the most savvy, experienced, popular blogger can utterly fail at something that's fairly simple.

So I thought I'd assemble these useful tips - just five easy steps to get any blogger on their way. And have any hope of getting a publicist like me to work with you. Plus, it totally gave me an opportunity to try making an INFOGRAPHIC! OMG! I'm so excited. Also, I'm such a nerd. (But bonus points for you if you pin it to Pinterest. It would make my geeky life.)

I'm super passionate about this (in case you can't tell) and I'm really tempted to go on and on about it because lord knows I have more tips of my sleeve, but I'll spare you the rants of a crazy publicist. But feel free t pose questions below in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them.

What does it really boil down to? Common sense. Use it. Think about meeting a person in real life ("IRL" as the kiddies say). How do you want them to look? How to present themselves? Clean and fresh and hopefully, not overaccessorized. You want them to be friendly and amenable and when you ask for their number, you want them to give it to you, not keep it a secret. Social media, at its very core, is about connecting with people. That's all. When we lose sight of that, we end up with animated gifs, auto-play music (HUGE NO TO THAT NONSENSE) and a dozen blog badges and LARGE FONT ADS.

Like I said, it would just make my geeky little life if you pinned this. And please feel free to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, the office fridge. Sky's the limit here, people. I'm an attention whore.

February 28, 2013

Perhaps you can recall some of my more hilarious online dating woes. I mean, when I think about the parade of total lunatics I've encountered -- Goldfish Josh, the IHOP Cop, Mr. "I'm not gay, I swear," The Babymaker and "Extra Butter" Guy, among others -- it's a wonder I've not yet converted and joined up with a conclave of nuns.

I'm on board with their outfits. I dig black minimalist fashion.

In any case, Tuesday night's Social Media Club LA panel focusing on online dating and social media was of particular interest to me. Actually, I was sorta skeptical at first. I don't know... social media and online dating? How is that relevant exactly? And I'm dating someone, so did I need to be at this panel?

Regardless, I missed some faces and I went. And I was glad. It was a great panel. And you know I'd be the first one to say if it wasn't. You guys, it was great. Because as it turns out, about 99% of the rules you should apply to online dating strategy can be applied to social media... and LIFE. No joke. Check this out...

Be authentic, genuine and find a unique voice. About online dating or life? I think both.

"People love instant gratification, but community building in social media takes time," said Julie Spira. Good things come to those who wait! Lord knows I love instant gratification.

"Put your best foot forward in online dating, just like when you go to a cocktail party. Cultivate those relationships," said Scott. Look good, feel good, know your shit, right? The panel went on to talk about nourishing your relationships. I think there was a garden metaphor.

Is an emotional approach better than a statistical one? I think anything is better when there's some passion behind it. Connecting is what it's all about, right? Ask a successful career gal like me if she ever got anyhere without passion...

Proofread, be timely and relevant, put out quality information. Well.... YEAH. (Says the girl who always has to proofread her blogs 85 timses.)

Get back to people. Which is one of my pet peeves. We're human beings. We love closure.

Don't burn bridges. Be kind. I think I say this to the teens I volunteer with once a month. ALWAYS try to be kind to others. I always liked it put like this - and I'm paraphrasing: You never know if the face you punch today will be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow.

Don't stalk. (I'm going to ignore this advice. Just owning that right now.)

Again, I say: GREAT event. Thoroughly enjoyed. And while I wish there'd been a bigger turnout, I kinda feel like the vibe of the room was born out of intimacy anyway -- it was all for the best. And hopefully people will read this entry and kick their own asses for not coming. I mean, we talked about REVENGE PORN, guys. You totally missed out.

February 01, 2013

Being the social media loon that I am, one of my goals for this year is to better utilize Google Plus. I'm solid on Facebook - moreso than ever - and lord knows I love me some Twitter and Instagram, right? So what's all the rage on the Googleplex? Who's using G+ and how?

The answer, I'm finding, is: No one. And everyone.

Here's my issue. There is nothing for me to gain from Google Plus that I'm not already finding on Facebook or elsewhere. There's no exclusivity. There's nothing new. I guess there are search optimization benefits but I'm not a business. I'm not that consumed in growing my audience for this blog and even if I was, I'm not sure G+ is the place t do it. I realize with its circles and such, it's integration with all of Google's other sites like YouTube, it's offers a lot of customization and niche opportunities, but I've really got that down with Facebook. I like that on Facebook I can make myself really invisible and by creating a variety of lists - which I do - I get an adequate amount of customization.

Almost daily, I get emails that XXX has added me to their circle. Who are these people? Why are they adding me? How are they finding me? That's not ok.

All I see on G+ are articles people post. It's very sterile. It lacks personality. That may work for some, but not for me.

Frankly, I could go more private on Twitter than I can on G+. At least Twitter offers you a private feed option. But Twitter is a great source now for public information. Facebook has the privacy I desire. I see no need for G+ in my life.

But look, here's the disclaimer -- I could be COMPLETELY wrong. In fact, I know some of my peers will read this and think so. I am owning it -- I could be so wrong about Google+. I could be using it wrong and failing to see a great point. Who knows...

So I'll keep paying attention and trying to use it. I really will. To be clear, I am QUITE obsessed with Google as a brand so no one wants to love Google Plus more than I do. I promise.

January 04, 2013

For the unawares, I happen to be on the board of Social Media Club (Los Angeles chapter), an amazing, non-profit, volunteer-based club. The diverse membership is always a joy to be around -- it includes influencers throughout the Los Angeles community who range from tech, marketing, PR, entertainment, entrepreneurs, media and so on. The December event called "Meet the Bloggers" (which I planned) was hugely successful -- our biggest and best event ever, with about 150 in attendance.

And most importanly, I've made some REALLY great new friends. I'm so lucky to work with this group!